"Is a Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit?": Suffolk Police reveal worst of nuisance 999 calls
The force is urging people to think twice before picking up the phone - and to ask themselves whether it really is an emegency
Suffolk Police have revealed details of some of the worst nuisance 999 calls placed to the service, including someone asking whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit.
Call handlers in Suffolk also fielded requests for help getting to hospital appointments or from people locked out of their homes.
The force has seen a 14% increase in 999 calls over the past 12 months and is currently getting up to 500 a day - meaning time is precious for Suffolk's call handlers.
Chief Inspector Shawn Wakeling said: “We know that inappropriate calls are not always made deliberately."
"Often, they are made by people in a panic who don’t know what to do in the moment; or innocently by those with good intentions, telling us something they think we should know, but which do not always meet the emergency threshold to be called in on 999.
“We are releasing the details of some inappropriate calls, not to deter the public from calling us, but to give them a real understanding of the most common calls that should not be coming in on the emergency line.
“Of course, there are some who call the emergency line who do not need the police at all and have made the call with blatant misuse and disregard.
"There is a serious side to calling 999 inappropriately. It potentially puts lives at risk by taking a call handler’s time away from a genuine emergency where there is threat to life or a crime in progress.
“Each call that comes in is carefully assessed by our call takers and this can take several minutes to ensure the correct response is given. For those waiting with a genuine emergency, those minutes could feel like a very long time to wait.
“Before calling 999, I urge people to ask themselves – is someone’s life in danger, or am I reporting a crime that is happening in the moment? If the answer isn’t yes to either of those questions, they should be looking at alternative contact methods.
“We are also working hard to improve waiting times for 101 calls that do not require an emergency response. The public can assist with this by utilising the online methods to contact us.”
The force recently launched a Live Chat feature for more general, non emergency, enquiries.
Examples of inappropriate 999 calls placed Suffolk Police:
- To ask if they can have a BBQ in Christchurch Park
- To ask what they have been charged with after losing paperwork
- To ask for help to get into their house after being locked out
- To ask for medical assistance when unable to find resolution via 111
- To ask for details on someone in custody
- To report an abandoned vehicle that has been there for several days
- To ask for an incident number for a crime they previously reported
- To ask for assistance in looking after a pet after its owner was taken to hospital
- To report an abandoned vehicle that is off road/not blocking a road
- To ask for help in civil matters (on this occasion, reporting a discrepancy with a retailer on a kitchen appliance that was not installed)
- To ask for advice regarding power of attorney
- To ask for a lift to a hospital appointment
- To report a non-recent collision
To report a medical incident after already calling an ambulance where no crime had occurred-